| Highlights of Dawn | November 1967 |
Hope for a World in Ferment
SHORTLY before Jesus was crucified his disciples asked him, “What will be the sign of thy presence, and of the consummation of the age?” (Matt. 24:3, Diaglott) In response to this question Jesus described a number of signs which would indicate his second presence and the end of the age. One of them was, “Then there will be great distress, such as never happened from the beginning of the world till now, no, nor ever will be. And unless those days were cut short, no one could survive; but on account of the chosen, those days will be limited.”—Matt. 24:21,22, Diaglott
There is every reason to believe that we are now living in the time of the fulfillment of this prophecy. The distress, or tribulation, which is upon the world is indeed such as never was since there was a nation. The Prophet Daniel foretold this same period, describing it as “a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation.” (Dan. 12:1) Since the beginning of the reign of sin and death, fallen and dying humanity has continued to pass through trouble. There have been wars among the tribes and nations of the earth in every generation. Some of these wars have been due to a lust for power; some to the need of living room and food; but never have agitation and strife been so general and so lasting as they are today.
This particular time of distress had its beginning in the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. This was the first world war in human experience. It lasted for more than four years, and its close found most of the powerful church-state governments destroyed; and even before it closed, a communist revolution had broken out in Russia. Then followed a few years during which the so-called civilized world endeavored to return to normal, but failed.
These years were succeeded by the Great Depression of the early 1930’s. During these years fascism and nazism flourished in Europe, and then in 1939 came the outbreak of the Second World War. It was a strange lineup, with communist Russia fighting on the side of the western European nations and, beginning with Pearl Harbor, with the United States. The very foundations of the professed civilized world were shaken by that war. Its close found the nations of Europe bankrupt and helpless, and but for the financial assistance of the United States they doubtless would have perished.
The Second World War settled even fewer of the disputes among the nations than the first one did. Indeed, although the war stopped, there has been no peace. The spirit of communism, masterminded by the Kremlin, began to make inroads, especially among the backward nations. China became a communist nation, as did other Asian countries. Communism spread to the western hemisphere. Cuba was taken over; and the battle for control of human minds is now raging throughout much of South America.
Meanwhile, Great Britain gave up one after another of her colonies, including, India and those of Africa. Other European colonial nations did the same thing. The small nations of Africa and Asia, released’ from the strong control of their imperial masters, began to fight among themselves and are still doing so.
The United States, wishing to prevent communism from spreading further in ;Asia, is now at war in Viet Nam, while at home there is the civil, rights struggle, with riots erupting here and there throughout the land. A similar struggle goes on in certain parts of Africa. Protest parades have become the order of the day in many parts of the world. These protests are voiced against almost everything, imaginable.
Authority is breaking down in the religious world. The so-called ecumenical spirit is leading to disrespect for former views and standards. Even in the Catholic Church there is an increasing spirit of protest. In Washington, D.C., the student body of a Catholic university refused to attend classes until a favorite professor who had been dismissed was reinstated. The students gained their point.
The churches call upon governments to establish peace, but nothing is done about it. The proportion of unbelievers in the world is constantly growing. Morality is breaking down in all countries, and there is a growing disrespect for authority, religious and civil.
Recently the noted evangelist, Billy Graham, said the idea that the world, through the influence of the churches, is getting better, is a myth. How true this is! And because it is true, the people who are aware of the situation are looking ahead with fear. Jesus used a very apt symbol to illustrate this time of chaos, ferment, and “distress of nations with perplexity.” He said that it would be like the roaring of the sea and the waves; and how ominous and threatening is the roar of a tempestuous sea!
The Prophet Isaiah interpreted this symbol, saying, “Woe to the multitude of many people, which make a noise like the noise of the seas; and to the rushing of nations, that make a rushing of mighty waters! The nations shall rush like the rushing of many waters: but God shall rebuke them, and they shall flee far off, and shall be chased as the chaff of the mountains before the wind, and like a rolling thing before the whirlwind.”—Isa. 17:12,13
God “rebukes” the angry nations in this time of chaos, the Prophet Isaiah said. The period in which we are living, and in which civilization is breaking down in all its aspects, is described by the prophecies of the Bible as “the last days.” (Micah 4:1-4) This does not refer to the last days of time, but to the last days of the present social order, and to the last days of the reign of sin and death. It is in these last days that the Lord establishes his kingdom, and through the authority of that kingdom “rebukes” the nations which oppose his rulership. The prophecy reads:
“In the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not life up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.”
God’s Remedy
In this remarkable prophecy we have presented to us God’s remedy for a world gone mad. God ruled over his ancient people Israel from a mountain—Mount Zion in Jerusalem. So in this prophecy his kingdom, his rulership, is likened to a mountain, and this mountain, or kingdom, is said to be established “in the top of the mountains” and “exalted above the hills.” This is simply God’s pictorial way of assuring us that the kingdom of the Messiah will take a dominant position of control over all the peoples of the earth. This transition from human authority to divine rulership is accomplished at a time when, according to prophecy, the nations are angry.—Rev. 11:15,18
The anger and ferment of nations and peoples of the earth today indicate clearly that we are living at the time when this transfer of rulership is taking place. Those who have faith in God’s sure word of prophecy can therefore see the reason for the chaotic conditions in the earth; but others look upon the horrendous events of our day with fear because they know not that divine intervention in the affairs of men is near. They see the breakdown of humanly constituted authority, but do not know that divine authority through Christ is soon to be imposed upon all nations and peoples of the earth.
But we know that in God’s due time the distressed people of earth will recognize the authority of Messiah’s kingdom. It will be then that they will say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob.” This is a reference to God’s ruling house, made up of his Son, Christ Jesus, and his footstep followers of the present age who, through faithfulness in laying down their lives in his service, qualify to live and reign with him during the thousand years of his kingdom.—Rev. 20:4,6
The prophecy further states that “the law shall go forth of Zion, and the ward of the Lord from Jerusalem.” This indicates that the messianic kingdom will have two phases—“Zion,” spiritual, and Jerusalem, human. The spiritual or invisible phase will be made up of Jesus and his faithful followers, exalted to heavenly glory, while the human phase will be those described in Psalm 45:16 as “princes in all the earth.” Jesus indicated that this refers to the ancient servants of God—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, and others who served and died in the cause of God prior to our Lord’s first advent.—Luke 13:28; Matt. 8:11; Heb. 11:4-40
The End of War
When, in their distresses, the people look to the Lord for help, and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,” and are taught his ways, “they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks,” and they shall not “learn war any more.” What a blessed boon that will be for the people! It will eliminate all need for protest parades against war in Viet Nam or any other place. It will permit the resources of the earth now used to make war to be used for peaceful purposes.
One of the great causes of frustration for millions today is the abject poverty with which they are plagued. This is leading to anarchistic violence in many areas of the world. But the kingdom will change this also. The promise is that in the new messianic age “they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid.” This is a symbolic description of economic security. Slums and ghettos will be no more. We know this because the Bible says, “The mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.”
Hearts to Be Changed
Basically, the cause of all the distress in the world today is sin and selfishness. Through science and invention man has accomplished wonderful things, but science and invention have not improved the human heart—only obedience to the laws of the messianic kingdom will do this. God has promised, “Then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent.” (Zeph. 3:9) Again the Lord has promised, “I will put my law in their inward parts; and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord.”—Jer. 31:33,34
This means that divine authority will be established and recognized in the earth, not to be administered through church-state systems of government, nor by a humanly constituted clergy class, but through the two phases of Messiah’s kingdom. Religion will not then be used to frighten and oppress, but the people will be enlightened concerning the true God and his glory. Then they will say, “This is our God; we have waited for him, … we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”—Isa. 25:9
Think of the many problems which distress a sick and dying world today that would be solved if the people recognized the authority of divine law in their lives, and loved their neighbors as themselves! In Christ’s kingdom this will become true. Then the energies of the people will be utilized for the good of others, and to the great joy of all mankind.
Death Destroyed
Surely a world without war, without riots, without crime, without poverty; without racial hatreds, and without selfishness would be wonderful! But it would not be an ideal world, for still there would be the universal reign of sickness and death. Still there would be a hundred and fifty thousand people dying every twenty-four hours. Think of all the human agony of mind and body this entails! Surely the great evil of death will have to be destroyed before the human race can be supremely happy.
And this God has also promised to do through Christ. Paul wrote that Christ will reign until all enemies are put under his feet and that “the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.” (I Cor. 15:25,26) The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “He [God] will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces.” (Isa. 25:8) In Revelation 21:4 we read, “God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
The destruction of death entails the awakening from death of all who have died. Death reigns through the earth because of Adam’s sin. But Jesus came at his first advent and took the sinner’s place in death. This aspect of the divine plan of salvation the Bible refers to as “a ransom.” (I Tim. 2:3-6) Because of Jesus’ death as man’s Redeemer, Paul could write, “Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”—I Cor. 15:21,22
Truly, a bright hope for the future is held out to us in the Word of God! And how wonderful to realize that the things which today are distressing mankind, and filling the hearts of the people with fear, are actually signs which indicate that the blessings of Messiah’s kingdom are at the door! May we continue to rejoice in the assurances given to us in the prophecies of God’s Word.